Extensive Writing Project - this outlines an entire year-long project, but you can also use the 11 writing units individually.
Dictation
1. Read a text adn have the students make notes by writing down key words.
2. Have the students re-build the paragraph based on their notes.
3. This will help the teacher see what grammar they missed.
Heart Poems
A type of free verse poems that encourages students to write what's deep in their hearts.
You'll find a powerpoint attached that describes the steps for students, and gives some examples.
1. Take a scene from a book that the students are familiar with.
2. Students write the scene into a script in small groups.
3. Present script reading the different roles.
Summarizing with Poetry
The following are two similar writing exercises that are good way to have students summarize or synthesize their thoughts. I’ve used them at the end of a lesson about Native Americans, and also after a lesson about slavery.
I have found that the following teaching process works best:
Explain the “recipe” and show finished examples of 5-line/cinquain poems
The teacher models writing a poem on the chalkboard. Choose a topic on the spot and talk out loud as you think through the process of writing the poem.
Invite the class to brainstorm nouns that could start the poem.
Choose one of the nouns and have the class write a poem collectively (you write it on the board).
Allow students the chance to write on their own. I usually ask them to write a minimum of 3 poems.
Noun - person, animal, place, thing (Late last year our neighbours bought a goat.) Adjective - describing, identifying, or quantifying a noun (The small boat foundered on the deep dark sea.) Verb - express actions, events, or states of being (Dracula bites his victims on the neck.) Adverb – modifies the verb indicates manner, time, place, cause, or degree and answers questions such as "how," "when," "where," "how much". (The seamstress quickly made the clothes.)
Five Line Poem
From Andreas Lund, professor ILS
On the first line write a noun of your choice
On the second line write two adjectives joined by and to describe this noun
On the third line write a verb and an adverb to describe this noun in action
Start the fourth line with like or as followed by a comparison
Start the final line with if only followed by a wish
Example by Stephanie Drake:
Heroes
Brave and Strong
fighting courageously
like there is no tomorrow
if I only had the courage that they have
Cinquain
From Sarah Armstrong, Teaching Smarter with the Brain in Focus
Write a one-word title (usually a noun)
Describe the topic in two words (usually two adjectives)
Show several actions associated with the topic, in three words (usually three –ing words)
Express a feeling in a four-word phrase about the topic
Write a one-word synonym that restates the essence of the topic.
Photosynthesis
Light, energy
Transporting, tubing, turning
Carbon dioxide into sugars
Chlorophyll
Stream of Consciousness
1. Ten minutes of free writing at the beginning of each class on a given topic.
2. Once a month students choose their favourite piece and submit it.
Topic ideas:
How would it feel to be (book in our classroom, a piece of dynamite in the building of a road, the joker in a deck of cards)
Obituary
Story from childhood
Dreaming
If I were a superhero
Adverb poems (Andreas Lund)
Recipe for something
How To instructions (instructables website)
Text messages
One action in great detail (slow-motion) (highlight adverbs and rephrase: “he walked slowly and fearfully up to the door” gives an idea of how the character is moving, but isn’t interesting or descriptive. Versus “he crept up to the door, terrified that the floorboards might creak and give him away”)
Many actions in a day (fast-forward)
Collaborative writing
Dialogue
Reaction to a picture
First memory
Relationship
Opposites
Invent a word – write the definition
5 new words from the dictionary- look them up and write using them
Interview
Wikipedia entry
Letter to someone
Toy’s story (favourite toy as a kid)
Ghost/Scary
“It’s a small world”
Want ad
Historical figure
Reaction to a piece of music
Interaction with an animal
Associations (one thought, another thought…)
Prop or object
Describe a sense (taste, smell…)
Bag of words - student draws a word out of a bag
Imagine a storm – describe what you see/feel/hear…
What do you hear standing on a street corner
A conflict
Read a paragraph, write the next
Shocking poem (no swear words)
Review a film/book/restaurant
Witness statement
Comic strip
Perspective of a spectator
Perspective of a competitor
Doing homework
1 word and it's importance, meaning
Comparison between 2 pictures (food for a month: Germany, Somalia)
Persuasive letter (something to change at school, send to principal)
Hero letter
Something that worries me
You’ll never guess what happened when…
Dear Mum and Dad… (or parental figure)
Day 1: When I grow up I’m going to be, Day 2: If I could be anything I would be, Day 3: Discuss difference between what they wrote
Advice (everything a 9th grader needs to know)
Newspaper headlines
Table of Contents
Extensive Writing Project
Extensive Writing Project - this outlines an entire year-long project, but you can also use the 11 writing units individually.Dictation
1. Read a text adn have the students make notes by writing down key words.2. Have the students re-build the paragraph based on their notes.
3. This will help the teacher see what grammar they missed.
Heart Poems
A type of free verse poems that encourages students to write what's deep in their hearts.You'll find a powerpoint attached that describes the steps for students, and gives some examples.
Adapted from:
Routman, R. Writing Essentials: Raising Expectations and Results While Simplifying Teaching. (2005) Portsmouth: Heinemann.
ReadWriteThink
A FANTASTIC site! Hundreds of lesson plan ideas around reading and writing, and the best part is the student materials section that has for example, a comic creator, character analysis mapping, crossword puzzle generator, CD cover creator (and those are just some of the Cs!) and then it also lists possible lessons you can use the interactive tools in.Script Writing
1. Take a scene from a book that the students are familiar with.2. Students write the scene into a script in small groups.
3. Present script reading the different roles.
Summarizing with Poetry
The following are two similar writing exercises that are good way to have students summarize or synthesize their thoughts. I’ve used them at the end of a lesson about Native Americans, and also after a lesson about slavery.I have found that the following teaching process works best:
Noun - person, animal, place, thing (Late last year our neighbours bought a goat.)
Adjective - describing, identifying, or quantifying a noun (The small boat foundered on the deep dark sea.)
Verb - express actions, events, or states of being (Dracula bites his victims on the neck.)
Adverb – modifies the verb indicates manner, time, place, cause, or degree and answers questions such as "how," "when," "where," "how much". (The seamstress quickly made the clothes.)
Five Line Poem
From Andreas Lund, professor ILSExample by Stephanie Drake:
Heroes
Brave and Strong
fighting courageously
like there is no tomorrow
if I only had the courage that they have
Cinquain
From Sarah Armstrong, Teaching Smarter with the Brain in FocusExamples:
Reading
Words, stories
Thinking, sharing, learning
Travelling in our minds
Books
Equation
Always balancing
Solving, equalling, operating
Both sides treated fairly
Solution
Photosynthesis
Light, energy
Transporting, tubing, turning
Carbon dioxide into sugars
Chlorophyll
Stream of Consciousness
1. Ten minutes of free writing at the beginning of each class on a given topic.2. Once a month students choose their favourite piece and submit it.
Topic ideas:
How would it feel to be (book in our classroom, a piece of dynamite in the building of a road, the joker in a deck of cards)
Obituary
Story from childhood
Dreaming
If I were a superhero
Adverb poems (Andreas Lund)
Recipe for something
How To instructions (instructables website)
Text messages
One action in great detail (slow-motion) (highlight adverbs and rephrase: “he walked slowly and fearfully up to the door” gives an idea of how the character is moving, but isn’t interesting or descriptive. Versus “he crept up to the door, terrified that the floorboards might creak and give him away”)
Many actions in a day (fast-forward)
Collaborative writing
Dialogue
Reaction to a picture
First memory
Relationship
Opposites
Invent a word – write the definition
5 new words from the dictionary- look them up and write using them
Interview
Wikipedia entry
Letter to someone
Toy’s story (favourite toy as a kid)
Ghost/Scary
“It’s a small world”
Want ad
Historical figure
Reaction to a piece of music
Interaction with an animal
Associations (one thought, another thought…)
Prop or object
Describe a sense (taste, smell…)
Bag of words - student draws a word out of a bag
Imagine a storm – describe what you see/feel/hear…
What do you hear standing on a street corner
A conflict
Read a paragraph, write the next
Shocking poem (no swear words)
Review a film/book/restaurant
Witness statement
Comic strip
Perspective of a spectator
Perspective of a competitor
Doing homework
1 word and it's importance, meaning
Comparison between 2 pictures (food for a month: Germany, Somalia)
Persuasive letter (something to change at school, send to principal)
Hero letter
Something that worries me
You’ll never guess what happened when…
Dear Mum and Dad… (or parental figure)
Day 1: When I grow up I’m going to be, Day 2: If I could be anything I would be, Day 3: Discuss difference between what they wrote
Advice (everything a 9th grader needs to know)
Newspaper headlines